Register
If you haven’t already, register to start contributing news and events, and to search the Member Directory. Registration is free, but only open to current members of the American Studies Association.
Events
Jan. 9 | Call for papers: Identities and Technocultures
A 2-day conference about American culture and technologies that examines how new technologies dominate and define Americaness in the US and abroad. Co-sponsored by the University of Iowa Center for Ethnic Studies and the Arts (CESA) and the Mid-America American Studies Association (MAASA).
Resources: Abstracts of American Studies Dissertations
By University | By Year
Howard, Vicki. "American Weddings: Gender, Consumption, and the Business of Brides," American Studies, University of Texas at Austin, May 2000.
In this cultural history of the wedding industry during the period 1900-1960, I demonstrate how the white wedding emerged as a cultural ideal by the mid-twentieth century. The dissertation adapts Eric Hobsbawm’s formulation of the “invention of tradition.“ I argue that jewelers, department store bridal consultants, women’s and bridal magazines, caterers and others used their authority as experts on etiquette and “tradition” to shape wedding practice, introduce new customs, and set a standard for wedding consumption. I also look at the different ways working-class and middle-class brides and grooms put these invented traditions to use.
Quick Links
American Quarterly [official journal site]
American Quarterly [editorial site]